Thin film magnetic and magneto-optical (MO) media in disc form are typically lubricated with a thin film of a polymeric lubricant, e.g., a perfluoropolyether, to reduce wear of the disc when utilized with data/information recording and read-out heads/transducers operating at low flying heights, as in a hard disc system functioning in both contact start-stop (“CSS”) and load/unload (“L/UL”) modes. Conventionally, a thin film of lubricant is applied to the disc surface(s) during manufacture by dipping a disc with a stack of thin film layers formed thereon, including at least one recording layer, into a bath containing a small amount of lubricant, e.g., less than about 1% by weight of a fluorine-containing polymer, dissolved in a suitable solvent, typically a perfluorocarbon, fluorohydrocarbon, or hydro fluoroether. However, a drawback inherent in such dipping process is the consumption of large quantities of solvent, resulting in increased manufacturing cost and concern with environmental hazards associated with the presence of toxic or otherwise potentially harmful solvent vapors in the workplace.
Vapor deposition of thin film lubricants is an attractive alternative to dip lubrication in view of the above drawbacks. Specifically, vapor deposition of lubricant films is a solvent free process. Moreover, vapor deposition techniques can provide up to about 100% bonded lubricant molecules when utilized with appropriate polymeric lubricants and magnetic and/or MO disc substrates having deposition surfaces comprised of a freshly-deposited carbon-based protective overcoat layer which is not exposed to air prior to lubricant deposition thereon.